The Midtown Press June/July 2024

EDITOR’S CHAIR

And just like that, welcome to June! While it's still not the official start to summer, based on the calendar, the temperatures outside suggest otherwise. We are now at the halfway point of 2024! How are your personal goals coming along? Have you revisited your vision board? While it is easy to beat ourselves up for not being where we want to be, please also make sure you celebrate your successes, big and small.

I hope you find this issue informative. It includes stories and highlights, including the upcoming Pine Hills Hob Nob & Straw Poll, scheduled for July 18th at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. In the past, this event has attracted hundreds of people interested in learning more about candidates vying for political offices. Please see Pages 16 and 17 for more information.

As central Florida residents, June also marks the beginning of Hurricane season. The unfortunate wild and devastating weather already being experienced in the Midwest should serve as a reminder of our community's resilience. It's a wakeup call to ensure we are prepared for any pending storms. While the weather is calm and with a sales tax holiday until June 14th, now is the perfect time to stock up on batteries, flashlights and even generators, showing our collective readiness.

Look for updates on several of our Pine Hills groups including the Pine Hills Community Council and the Pine Hills Safe Neighborhood Partnership

Let's take a moment to celebrate the Pine Hills Seniors' selection as one of several non-profit organizations to win the Orange County Sheriff's Office Community Crime Prevention Program Award This achievement is a testament to our community's dedication and spirit.

Please also check out all the incredible highlights at Evans High School, beginning on Page 12. I have been fortunate to have been a part of the Evans Community Leadership Council over the past couple of years. I have witnessed firsthand how successful the Community Partnership School has benefitted the students.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention an accomplishment of my own. Many readers may know that besides the Midtown Press and serving as the Executive Director of Hebni Nutrition, I have also been operating the SMILE Ice Cream Company for the last five years as an ice cream catering company. I had the opportunity to open my first storefront at the beginning of May. It has been a journey to this point and will be a lesson in patience and perseverance. I want to thank everyone who has visited the store so far, and if you haven't, I hope to see you soon so we can help make you SMILE!

Thank you for supporting the Midtown Press - The little paper with the big picture!

Press THE Midtown

“The little paper with the big picture”

Publisher EJP North, LLC.

Editor Glen R. Providence

Associate Editor Barbara Chandler

All materials contained herein (unless otherwise noted) are owned and copyrighted by EJP North, LLC and Glen R. Providence. No material may be reproduced in any manner or form without the written consent of the publishers or their designated representative.

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Tidbits

2024 State of the County: Building Better Together

Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings will deliver his 2024 State of the County address inside the Linda W. Chapin Theatre at the Orange County Convention Center on Friday, June 7, 2024, at 8 a.m.

The Mayor will highlight Orange County Government's accomplishments and challenges over the past year and emphasize its strategic public, private and philanthropic partnerships that have fostered a community culture of building better together. To register for the event, please scan the QR code.

To help ensure that Florida children have access to wholesome meals during summer break, the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer partners with schools and organizations to provide free meals to kids and teens from low-income areas. The Summer Break Spot Program provides meals at no cost to kids and teens 18 and under, while schools are closed for the summer.

There are several ways to find a Summer Break Spot site:

• Dial 2-1-1

• Text “FoodFL” to 304-304

• Visit SummerBreakSpot.org

Summer Break Spot sites include open sites and camps (residential and nonresidential). Open sites are sites where meals are available to all children in the area on a first-come, first-served basis. Locations can include churches, schools, libraries and more. Kids and teens 18 and under can eat for free all summer long.

Senior Focus

Pine Hills Seniors: Staying Active & Involved!

Pine Hills Seniors Awarded

Award

On

Friday, April 12, 2024, Pine Hills Seniors were one of several central Florida non profits selected to recieve a Community Crime Prevention Program Award from the Orange County Sheriffs Office. The award in the amount of $6,500 will go towards the purchase of safety equipment and exercise instruction. $220,000 was awarded to this year’s recipients. Since 2020, OCSO’s Crime Prevention Program has provided more than $600,000 in funding. The funding comes from law enforcement trust fund money which is confiscated from drug dealers.

Pine Hills Seniors Celebrate Mothers Day

On May 9th, the Seniors had a fabulous time celebrating Mother's Day. The event was hosted by the Seniors for all the Mother's present that day. Food and decorations were all provided by members! The event included a fashion show, a praise dance performance, and songs.

Photos by Gail P. Bradshaw

JUNETEENTH

Crealdé Member Jane Poché.

2024 Hurricane Season Is Upon Us

Whileit may be hard to believe we are already however, by the time we go to print, we will officially be at that beginning of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season which began this week, on June 1st.

The National Hurricane Center, released their first predictions before the official start of the season and hurricane forecasters are expecting it to be one of the busiest hurricane seasons in years.

These early predictions indicate an active season, due to the combination of La Niña and record warm water temperatures in the Atlantic basin, which includes the northern Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

With this in mind, the beginning of hurricane season is a perfect time to prepare for pending storms. June 1-14 are sales tax holidays throughout Florida. A second 14-day sales tax holiday will start in August, just in time for the peak of hurricane season.

Eligible items included in the tax-free holiday include:

• A portable generator used to provide light or communications with a sales price of $3,000 or less.

• A tarpaulin or other flexible waterproof sheeting with a sales price of $100 or less.

• An item normally sold as, or generally advertised as, a ground anchor system or tie-down kit with a sales price of $100 or less.

• A smoke detector or smoke alarm with a sales price of $70 or less.

• A fire extinguisher with a sales price of $70 or less.

• A carbon monoxide detector with a sales price of $70 or less.

• A nonelectric food storage cooler with a sales price of $60 or less.

• A portable power bank with a sales price of $60 or less.

• A gas or diesel fuel tank with a sales price of $50 or less.

• A portable self-powered radio, two-way radio, or weather-band radio with a sales price of $50 or less.

• A package of AA-cell, AAA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt, or 9-volt batteries, excluding automobile and boat batteries, with a sales price of $50 or less.

• A portable self-powered light source (powered by battery, solar, hand-crank, or gas) with a sales price of $40 or less, including: flashlights, lanterns and candles.

• Eligible light sources and radios qualify for the exemption, even if electrical cords are included in the purchase.

• Reusable ice (ice packs) with a sales price of $20 or less.

Maynard Evans High School

Pine Hills Community Council Hob Nob

The upcoming Pine Hills Community Council Hob Nob is one of the most anticipated Hob Nob's since it debuted in 2018, with an overwhelming participation of over 500 in attendance. The purpose of a Hob Nob is to present candidates vying for elected office, and offers voters the opportunity to ask questions and meet and greet them. The Hob Nob features a straw vote - an unofficial poll taken by attendees on how they feel about candidates and issues.

With over 85,000 residents and over 60,000 registered voters in Pine Hills, these numbers have the power to influence elections when voters exercise their right. Everyone is encouraged to participate and let their voices be heard! For more information please reach out to our Committee Chair Sandra Fatmi-Hall at 770-789-7004 or President of the Pine Hills Community Council Dr. Latanya Nichols.

What does the "Penny" mean for Pine Hills?

-By Kassanndra Santiago

Orange County leadership consisting of Mayor Jerry Demmings, Orange County Commissioner Michael “Mike” Scott, brought District 6 together to discuss a revamp to the “Penny Tax” on April 3rd, 2024. County residents ultimately voted against adopting the tax, garnering 41.5% of the vote. An informational session regarding CODE ORANGE and the Vision 2050 plan was also held on April 24th, 2024

Citizens needed clarification and had more questions than answers at the meeting. More importantly, citizens need to understand the engineering jargon and funding distribution process, and the percentages being proposed leave too much to the imagination. More or less, residents feel like they are being talked at versus educated in a way they can comprehend.

Jae Fortune of the Pine Hills Culture and Economic Partnership, commonly known as Pine Hills Talk, has highlighted significant barriers to safe navigation within the Pine Hills area. The outdated infrastructure of main roadways poses severe risks to both pedestrians and drivers. Young people, especially students from Evans High School, face the challenge of navigating through heavy rush hour traffic on foot, with minimal protection from the elements. The lack of bike lanes and narrow walkways exacerbate these dangers. Fortune described the situation: "A student departing Evans High after a typical school day is forced to contend with three o'clock rush hour traffic, often on foot. This harsh walking environment is often worsened by whatever the weather happens to be."

Elderly residents encounter similar hazards, compounded by the high traffic volume that leads to dangerous situations, including head-on collisions with faster drivers. Fortune noted, "Every danger that a young person would encounter on these outdated, unsafe roadways is worse for an elderly person attempting to navigate these same streets."

The Pine Hills Culture and Economic Partnership commends the Orange County Vision Zero Action Plan and the improvements made through the Pine Hills Road Pedestrian Safety project in 2018. However, the organization calls for more community engagement to ensure these initiatives meet the area's needs equitably. They argue that a single public meeting held at the Pine Hills Culture Center earlier this year is insufficient for such a critical topic. Fortune emphasized, "A topic of this importance would justify a series of engaged conversations, debates, and perspectives from all corners of the Pine Hills community—not just the attendees of a single meeting (listening session)." I can agree, with the previous listening sessions being under 100 guests it is hard for those sessions to encompass a community of over 80,000 or more residents.

Fortune states, "As a resident taxpayer, I believe public welfare issues, like regular upgrades to the public transit system, is literally the purpose and should be the priority of those elected and entrusted with our collective tax revenue—regardless of how the funds are gathered." Historically, Pine Hills has contributed significantly to the county's tax base without receiving adequate representation or services, leading to some neighborhoods being targeted for annexation into other municipalities. "Our taxation without direct representation has resulted in swaths of Pine Hills neighborhoods being targeted for annexation into other local municipalities, while still being significantly unserved and subjected to benign neglect," he remarked.

Fortune stresses the importance of addressing Pine Hills' needs in the county's Vision 2050 regional development plan. As Pine Hills' value and importance grow, there is hope for continued investment to improve the quality of life for current residents. Key areas for improvement include providing basic shelter at Lynx bus stops and along the Pine Hills Trail. Fortune concluded, "If a better quality of life in Pine Hills is part of the vision, we celebrate that vision."

Affordable Summer Camp for Pine Hills Youth

TheYMCA of Central Florida has partnered with Heart of Florida United Way to provide an affordable summer camp option at the Wayne Densch YMCA. The summer camp geared for elementary aged children began May 28th and will run for 11 weeks from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The cost of summer camp was originally reduced by the YMCA from $150 to $110 a week, but through a donation from Heart of Florida United Way, the cost has been reduced to $55 a week.

Families interested in registering their children must sign up for the summer camp at the Wayne Densch YMCA located at 870 N Hastings St., which is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Smile Ice Cream DESSERT CAFE Grand Opening!

By Madison Providence

Backin 2018, Glen Providence, my dad, launched SMILE Ice Cream. He was dedicated to not only having a successful business but also to creating a delicious, authentic- product. He did this by learning the true craft behind making ice cream and developing flavors that utilized fresh ingredients, all made by hand. He started out by selling to family and friends and small pop up events. Even on that small of a scale, SMILE became a hit and he began to expand his operations. This expansion included large catering events and his ice cream being sold in local restaurants. However, my dad has always been a big thinker, and he knew he couldn’t slow down.

On May 3rd 2024, after years of developing new flavors, improving his original ones, and staying consistent, he opened the SMILE Ice Cream Dessert Cafe, the official storefront for SMILE Ice Cream. The day was filled with excitement, support and of course smiles! The crowd included familiar faces as well as new customers who were about to experience their new favorite ice cream for the very first time. There was a beautiful ribbon cutting ceremony that truly spoke to the point of support for SMILE. The day was a true success and marked the first day of the journey my father is now on as a business owner. His tenacity for connecting with the community and creating the most authentic product for them will bring him far in his career and I am so lucky to be a part of it!

If you haven't yet, please do visit the cafe located at 4353 Edgewater Dr. #400. (Note: The store is conveniently connected to the Subway Restaurant). In addition to the homemade ice cream, the store also features coffee and desserts from local bakers.